"The Punching and Punched Poet Bar" ep. 26 "The Womanizer Bomb and the Flower-Eggplant Colored Sunset"

Dedicated to Yomogi-san

The teahouse at dusk smelled a little sweeter than usual.

The steam from the zenzai was dissolving into the orange light streaming in from the round window.

In the center of the table, a reddish-purple flower eggplant was placed neatly.

"Hey, you..."

Daichan, sitting across from me, was trembling while holding the grilled mochi from his zenzai with his chopsticks.

"What?"

Sakuchan was scooping up red beans leisurely.

"You're way too popular with women!"

There it was. The third declaration of the day.

"Huh?"

"Don't 'huh' me! You womanizer!"

Daichan popped the grilled mochi into his mouth and continued, writhing from the heat.

"Womanizer bomb, kaboom!" he said, poking Sakuchan's forehead with his finger.

"Ouch, ouch."

"Womanizer poke-poke, extra!"

Poke, poke, poke.

Saku-chan is just taking it.

There is no sign of a counterattack at all.

"Drink your tea, drink it."

"Hot! Why is it so hot!"

Dai-chan gets angry after drinking it vigorously himself.

The teahouse girl giggles and disappears into the back again.

Saku-chan tilts his head.

"Is that really something to get angry about?"

That one sentence.

Steam puffs up from Dai-chan's head.

I can see it. I can definitely see it.

"Of course I'm angry! Anyone would be angry! Why don't you get it?"

"Get what?"

"Get what, you...!"

He chokes on his words.

The eggplant flowers sway quietly between the two of them.

A color mixed with red and purple.

The same color as the setting sun.

Dai-chan gulps down his zenzai and chugs his water.

"Eat up."

I'm already eating.

Eat more. Eat until you can't eat anything else!

Why?

Just eat, you womanizer!

Saku-chan obediently put more chestnuts into his mouth.

Nom nom.

It had zero effect.

Dai-chan slammed his hand on the table.

I'm telling you! I've had enough!

Of what?

Of your denseness!

Saku-chan thought for a moment before speaking.

Am I dense?

You're made of steel!

The eggplant flower swayed slightly again.

The truth was—

Dai-chan was just a little lonely.

Every time Saku-chan smiled at someone.

Every time someone called out to Saku-chan.

He felt a dull ache deep in his chest.

But putting that into words is somehow embarrassing.

So.

"Womanizer bomb, reloading!"

Grind, grind.

"Ouch."

It really wasn't working.

By the time we left the teahouse, Saku-chan's chin had become slightly rounded.

He had eaten too much.

"I'm stuffed."

"I'm full of dreams, too."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Who knows."

Dai-chan suddenly raised his voice.

--If your wallet is light, your feet are light too

If your feet are light, you can even fly in the sky

A womanizer falling from the sky

Pick him up and boil him, he has no taste

Even so, carry the whole pot home!

"Parody song attack!"

"That's long."

"That's your impression?!"

The sunset was the color of an eggplant.

A boy in a black school uniform was walking from across the road.

His gold buttons glinted.

The boy suddenly stopped and looked this way—or so I felt.

But.

"Where to next?"

Saku-chan said.

"Are you still going to eat?"

"No, a walk."

"What's that about?"

The two of them started walking side by side.

The student couldn't help but let out a silent fart, but

the two didn't notice.

Or rather, they had no interest in the world.

Their stomachs were full,

their hearts were full,

and laughter welled up inside them.

"Hey."

"What?"

"Am I really that popular?"

"You are."

"I don't realize it."

"That's what's annoying!"

He slapped his back again.

"That hurts."

"Wanna go?"

"No, I don't."

The two of them burst out laughing at the same time.

Under the eggplant-colored sky,

the anger and jealousy were already melting into the sunset.

Dai-chan suddenly muttered.

"Well... it's best to just leave it alone."

"Leave what?"

"You."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Saku-chan laughed.

Dai-chan laughed too.

The sound of their footsteps walking side by side was strangely light.

Their wallets might be light, though.

But my heart doesn't feel heavy.

If anything, it feels strangely light.

There is some fog in my mind.

There are worries, too.

There are probably things I can't say as well.

Even so.

Full of food.

Full of dreams.

The sunset hasn't set yet.

The two of them went home, singing and skipping along.

The womanizer bomb,

The womanizer twist,

The parody song attack,

None of it works.

It doesn't have to work.

Tomorrow, we'll probably make a racket again.

That's fine.

As long as we can laugh and walk,

That's fine.